The ringleaders of a plot to murder a 34-year-old man in a brutal killing have been jailed for more than 40 years.
Mohammed Shiraz Bashir, 42, and his partner Leonie Mason, 24, both of Holme Park Court, Berry Brow, were found guilty of the murder of Craig Preston, also known as Craig Nelson, after a 12-week trial at Sheffield Crown Court that concluded last month.
Three teenage boys were jailed for more than 51 years after being found guilty of killing Mr Preston in August last year.
Bashir was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 22 years in prison while his on/off lover Mason was jailed for life, to serve a minimum of 19 years.
On trial alongside the couple were two 15-year-old boys and a 16-year-old boy, none of whom can be named for legal reasons. At the same trial last month, they were found guilty of manslaughter.
The 16-year-old boy was jailed for a total of three years and four months. One of the 15-year-old boys was handed a jail sentence of four years while the other has been jailed for three years.
Mr Preston’s body was found on the morning of Monday, August 22, on the moors off the A628 at Woodhead Tunnels in Derbyshire.
He had been severely beaten and a port mortem examination determined he died as a result of head injuries.
During the trial jurors heard how Mason had been in a relationship with both Mr Preston and Bashir at the time of the attack on August 21.
Prosecutors said Mason and Bashir had plotted to kill Mr Preston because he was an “annoyance” to their relationship.
Det Chief Insp Steve Handley, the senior investigating officer, said: “After hearing 11 weeks of extensive evidence, the jury reached an important distinction between the actions of the adults and the juveniles in this case.
“The jury determined that Bashir and Mason executed a plan to murder Mr Preston, resulting in their significant prison terms.
“They denied their guilt throughout and the severity and brutality of their crime is reflected in their lengthy sentences.
“The juveniles were found guilty of manslaughter, meaning that while they did play a role in Mr Preston’s death, the jury did not believe that they intended to kill him.
“All now face time behind bars for their crime and a complex police investigation now draws to a close.
“I wish to thank my team for their hard work and commitment throughout this inquiry and the partner agencies we have worked alongside over the last ten months.”
